The thin line between bullshit and cowdung

Why I’m not Orgasming over Modi yet

It is undeniably heartening to see the response Modi has got on being chosen the PM candidate. Heartening that probably for the first time, someone from humble origins has come up to the top, waving a massive middle finger at dynastic politics. That there is someone whose main platform is development.

However, the frenzy on social media seems a little hollow, and half baked. He might have stellar records to back him up, but to speak of him as the panacea for all troubles might be a little too far-fetched.

If only!

And it is perfectly understandable why he makes the intelligentsia uncomfortable.

1. Polarised Opinion: Ever since Modi has been in the reckoning, the entire political discourse in the country has been reduced to a dogs vs. cats sort of argument. You are either a right wing fundamentalist, or a pseudo-intelligent, pseudo-secular Congress stooge.

Well, sorry to break it to you. But there are others too, you know. Those who are sickened by dynastic politics and yet might differ from your opinion. Those who want a sane discussion without being reduced to either one of the categories. The space for sensible dialogue has vanished. The Congress calls him Rambo. And Modi’s supporters say Amartya Sen is not Indian because he has a foreign wife. It’s all become a terribly off-putting farce.

But it is difficult to even put across a point to Modi fanboys, because they will hear none of it. You have to be able to slit your wrist, take some blood, and apply it as a tilak on your head, or you are a Congress supporter, or a Communist.

A polarised discussion leads to nothing, except Arnab Goswami fapping away with pleasure, looking down at us lesser mortals.

2. Media Bashing: Another favourite pastime of Modi fanboys is to diss the media.

Yes, I understand that our nation’s media does not blow our minds away on a regular basis with its sensitivity, but isn’t it a little hypocritical?

Much of the hailed ‘revolution’ that has occurred in the last few years, has been primarily because of the media. The Anna Hazare campaign was promoted by the media, the media hounded the government on scams, and also had a major part in the push for justice in the Delhi gangrape case.

Also, much of Modi’s allure is because he handles media very well. Every speech of his is covered live by news channels, and even his speech in Hyderabad, where BJP has little presence, was beamed to the entire nation.

Also, the media has even made up facts, as shown during the Uttarakhand floods, knowing fully well that there will be gullible morons waiting to believe everything thrown their way. Also, when Modi was declared PM candidate, NDTV (which is spoken of as a sister concern of the Congress) flashed a banner asking people to send him wishes. Surely that’s not ethical, right? But why bother when Modi is being praised.

But God forbid, if the media reports anything against the guy, or so much as carries an opinion of a person who feels that the earth doesn’t revolve around Modi, god save them. They are damned Congress supporting pricks who probably party in Delhi with the crooks, right?

Very mature.

3. Bottom of the Pyramid:

Skewed statistics or not, Modi has undoubtedly succeeded in being able to use development as a political plank. The business class, the people of Gujarat, and people on Facebook are convinced about his abilities as a leader.

But governing a state and the entire country are two different things. While Modi’s popularity among the social media-savvy crowd of the country is unquestionable, there are no real statistics on his popularity outside Gujarat, in the lower middle-class sections of the society. And it’s an undeniably large number.

Also, most urban youth in the country don’t actually vote.

Here’s a look at the urban voter turnout in our top metros in the last municipal elections held there:

The game clearly lies in the rural and semi-urban belts. The biggest challenge for Modi would be to convert his popularity into people who cast their vote.

So instead of preaching on Facebook, how about you actually go cast your vote this time?

It’s also a great opportunity to show Salman Khan the middle finger

4. The big Muslim question:

There, I said it.

It is funny how if you simply say the word Muslim while discussing politics, people will growl at you and begin calling you names. I find it a little derogatory the way Muslims are discussed. It is always about secularism, or vote bank politics. As if Muslims are not normal people who might also want better amenities, better governance, and the same bloody things that a Hindu might want.

Now, the reason why media houses hound Modi with the same question, is because it is stunning to see someone as obstinate as that. Everytime he is asked about the Godhra riots, the channel is accused of being a pseudo-secular.

Firstly, no one is asking him to admit his guilt. But as the leader of a nation with multiple religions, would it cost the earth to even give a word of assurance? To express regret at what happened, and to assure that it won’t happen again? As the leader of the nation, isn’t that a tiny bit of what you’re supposed to do?

Another baffling explanation that is given is the example of how Congress caused the Delhi riots. What is this, a checklist? If they caused the riots, shouldn’t you aspire to be better than them? If you accuse them of playing the minority card for votes, are you being any different here?

But no. Try explaining this to a Modi fanboy and watch as he reduces you to an Android. Complete with the green suit and all.

5. The dirty coalition politics:

While the UPA had it better off with only four major allies, the NDA is a motley crew of parties who are as dependable as Rohit Sharma when it comes to keeping the government afloat. More alliance members means greater instability at the centre.

And since it is far fetched to imagine that a Shibu Soren might be having the benefit of the nation in mind, it will mean a terrible tug of war in four directions. Exactly the kind of thing that would make the industry high five itself and do a somersault in pleasure, eh?

Vajpayee had to resign as Prime Minister for the first time after 13 days, and the second time after 13 months, following which the NDA successfully remained in power for its full term. Modi’s challenge will lie not only in getting to the top post, but keeping it tight up there, by fostering a strong bond among the alliances.

But like I said, there is only so much one can trust parties like Jharkhand Mukti Morcha.

6. The Ugly Tangle of Religion:

As someone who abhors religion becoming a part of politics, I find the unholy tangle that the BJP is a part of, a little unsettling.

Much of the BJP’s actions are determined after consultation with the RSS and VHP. It is baffling how a religious organisation could have a say in politics when they do not even contest elections. But sadly, that is how it is.

Mention this to a Modi fanboy, and it will quickly be sidetracked, and you will be smothered with statistics and investment figures. Because nobody wants to talk about it.

And keeping the RSS and VHP aside, there are other smaller organisations that don the saffron colour to push their agendas. Bajrang Dal, whose members tick off February 14 on their calendars to have some fun. Sriram Sene, whose members beat up women from entering a pub. In Ranchi, girls wearing jeans could have acid thrown on them. How is this progress, again? Or change?

And with all the criticism against the UPA for being soft on terror, has Modi said anything about the Bajrang Dal? Members of the organisation have been involved in bombmaking on more than one occasion, even accused of planting bombs. How are they any different from terrorists? And organisations like Bajrang Dal and VHP are directly a part of the Sangh Parivar, which is the guiding body for the BJP.

Agreed that Islamic terrorism is a worldwide threat, but is this a comparison game?

If Modi really is the man for progress and a fresh thought, will he be able to distance himself and his party from its religious links?

Look at the amount of intolerance for films and film festivals, books and literary fests. And this is perhaps why most intelligentsia is against Modi. Not because they are people with low IQ, but because the rise of religion in politics means a direct threat to their work and lives.

And I would have said the same thing even if we were a Muslim country and someone coming to power meant more mob control for Muslims. It is a dangerous trend, mixing politics and religion. It is how elections in Pakistan are fought.
If Modi really has to impress me, he should be able to fight off the stranglehold that religious groups have over his party.
So there you go, those are the reasons why I am not orgasming over Modi, yet.

I hope he can prove me wrong on all the counts, and I would be his biggest admirer.

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88 thoughts on “Why I’m not Orgasming over Modi yet”

A clever, well-written piece of satire.
We Indians should not waste our time and energy anymore on this bunch of garbage – congress, bjp. It’s all there to control us. Two sides of the same coin. Two management teams bidding for control! The C.E.O. job of robbery and Slavery, Incorporated! The truth is out there in front of you, but they lay out this buffet of lies.
I’m sick of it, and I’m not going to take a bite out of it!

A clever, well-written piece of satire.
We Indians should not waste our time and energy anymore on this bunch of garbage – congress, bjp. It’s all there to control us. Two sides of the same coin. Two management teams bidding for control! The C.E.O. job of robbery and Slavery, Incorporated! The truth is out there in front of you, but they lay out this buffet of lies.
I’m sick of it, and I’m not going to take a bite out of it!

Man, you are pretty much the only mature [erson I’ve seen on the whole of the internetscape! I may not agree with you on everything (I dont support Modi at all), but at least you write things in a way that makes people actually want to listen to you..
Just for comparison, check out any Modi-Bashing/Rahul Gandhi-Bashing page on facebook, all you get would be either Modi’s or Rahul Gandhi’s faces morphed onto something inappropriate…
Kudos.

Man, you are pretty much the only mature [erson I’ve seen on the whole of the internetscape! I may not agree with you on everything (I dont support Modi at all), but at least you write things in a way that makes people actually want to listen to you..
Just for comparison, check out any Modi-Bashing/Rahul Gandhi-Bashing page on facebook, all you get would be either Modi’s or Rahul Gandhi’s faces morphed onto something inappropriate…
Kudos.

Express regret ??He already did. Or you choose not to hear it. Or you ask questions just for the heck of it,you dont want the answer.
ASSURE people of no future riots??? He ENSURED it. Just to answer a few.
You seem to try to sound “sensible”. That only looks like a Plan B for spreading venom.
All The Best.

Express regret ??He already did. Or you choose not to hear it. Or you ask questions just for the heck of it,you dont want the answer.
ASSURE people of no future riots??? He ENSURED it. Just to answer a few.
You seem to try to sound “sensible”. That only looks like a Plan B for spreading venom.
All The Best.

I have seen may’f these posts.
But what all of them (including this) miss, is to be practical. If not Modi then who?

Basically its easy to criticize, but its very difficult to come up with a practical solution that would actually work…

Such posts are of no use and wont help anyone until and unless its able to suggest what India must do in 2014.
As of now, in 2014, its a fact that India must choose either Modi or Rahul.
It might sound sad, but there is no other option.

I like this article. Although i don’t think there are people here orgasming over Modi. In my friend circles as well there are people who are either indecisive or some still support congress!! And of course some are orgasming over Modi. But I am sure that there are more people wanting to overthrow UPA rather than bring in NDA.

I like this article. Although i don’t think there are people here orgasming over Modi. In my friend circles as well there are people who are either indecisive or some still support congress!! And of course some are orgasming over Modi. But I am sure that there are more people wanting to overthrow UPA rather than bring in NDA.

Nice articles especially on “Modifans” intolerance but then what you wrote is Idealism…don’t search for it in contemporary politicis,,,idealists, at least as of now, are not a plausible option so better vote for the bad than the worst and i do hope we all are unequivocal on who the worst is 🙂

@heartranjan … completely agree with you….
But the problems you’ve highlighted…do we have a solution?
I don’t think so.
All the politicians and parties are the same. If you ask them should corruption related lok pal bill or any other form of RTI thingies should come up they’ll unanimously disagree or keep quiet; so you know where I am coming from on this.
So in exchange of all the shit they give us UPA/Congress/Manmonia is worse then BJP/Modi.
Plus point coming out of recent events in support of Modi is he is trying to distance himself from the likes of Assaram(or however it is spelled) and other stupid Hindu groups.
Clear polarization you’ll say but can’t help it. The sorry state in which every other party/politician is (as they say in the land of the blind, the one eyed man is the king) it will always boil down like this.

Regarding, Godhra I have been in Gujarat all my life people feel much more safe from Riots after the incident (And not only Hindus mind you).
At the grass root level what ever Modi does, things work.
I still doubt(and fear failure) how things will turn out for Modi on a national scale if he comes to power. But I feel he deserves a fair chance (yes, that is what we have been doing since last 60+ years) to prove his point, methodologies.
Otherwise, like every year we can just criticize the government and carry on with our daily chores like we have been doing since the last 60 years or so.

Do we have a better option, if not Mr.Modi?
So wat are you ORGASMING over these days, Mr.heartranjan? I hope its not Mr. “Youth”, ‘cos you might be getting confused with orgasm with something else (my apologies here)!
I think its over duty to save India when we have chance!!

At the end of the day apologising will not get him Muslim votes, it will only cost him hardcore Hindu votes……people seem to be more concerned with what he says rather than does, his 10 years in power has been a very rare decade in Gujarat for being riot-free………not surprising then that we repeatedly fall for liars and then whine about corruption……Exhibit A: MMS using his reputation to cover up, which gave a certain Italian fortune digger and her sycophants 10 solid years to loot the country to bankruptcy

I am surprised to see so many people worried about secularism. India is a vibrant democracy with plenty of systemic checks and balances. No leader is ever going to be able to do a Hitler as Indira Gandhi learned during the emergency. It seems like we have very little faith in our institutions

Then give him a chance instead of criticising him at every turn. Already plenty of that from his political opponents and the media. It doesn’t do his cause any good.

Speaking of media management, a point I’d like to raise: For all the accusations of Modi’s hype being created by the media, how often do you read a pro-Modi article in any mainstream newspaper? 90% of the time they’re just criticising him, showing statistics that portray Gujarat in a poor light etc.

As Madhu Kishtwar said ‘The truth about the Modi media hype: There is no hype.’ The mainstream media almost universally hates him. News about his and Gujarat’s achievements mainly come from the social media, word of mouth or his interviews and speeches.

Come on man? Who’s criticising him at every level? Don’t you get the tone of the article?

And about media management, it’s actually a little more complicated than what you point it out to be. There are PR houses that work for all political parties, though I personally have no problem with that.

Unless a leader can assure secularism, I am not sure how successful he is going to be in India. Mixing up religion and politics has seen grave consequences already. Having a ruling party influenced by religious frantics seems like a bigger nightmare.
As far as corruption is concerned , I don’t think any one is better off. Given the opportunity don’t you think BJP might race UPA?

I’ve always rolled my eyes at the whole ‘apology’ excuse. What good would an apology do? Would anyone forgive him if he said sorry? If anything, the media, which goes through all his speeches with a magnifying glass looking for controversies, would spin it as an admission of guilt which his detractors everywhere would exploit to no end.

Actions speak louder than words. Post-2002 Modi has maintained law and order in Gujarat such that there have been no new riots in the state for the last 11 years: A record no Congress government in Gujarat was able to achieve. And as for 2002, dozens upon dozens of culprits(including, I may add, many Congress members) have been punished and Modi has done nothing to protect them.

Meanwhile from the ‘secular’ parties justice is still absent for the victims of the 1983 Nellie massacre, the 1984 Sikh genocide, the 1989 Bhagalpur riots and the 1990 Kashmiri Pandit genocide, among many other riots under Congress rule. In recent years all the communal riots and incidents have happened in states ruled by ‘secular’ parties, like the Marad massacre in Kerala, the Gopalgarh riots in Rajasthan, the Assam riots and now the Muzzafarnagar riots, not to mention endless communal clashes in West Bengal and Bihar.

Sure, Manmohan Singh apologised for 1984, but keeping aside the fact that his apology is meaningless(He had no role in the riots and was not even a member of Congress when it happened) who will apologise for the rest of the above?

Modi regularly speaks with Muslim leaders and Ulema from both Gujarat and outside. He has also called for communal harmony in many of his speeches. And then there was the Sadbhavna fast which media turned into a skullcap controversy.

Basically, he’s tried to take such steps. The mainstream media just doesn’t report them much. That’s not what gets them ratings and ‘Bharat Nirman’ ad money.

people seem to be more concerned with what he says rather than does, his 10 years in power has been a very rare decade in Gujarat for being riot-free, which ought to be reassurance enough………not surprising then that we repeatedly fall for liars and then whine about corruption……Exhibit A: MMS using his reputation to cover up, which gave a certain Italian fortune digger and her sycophants 10 solid years to loot the country to bankruptcy

Fact No. 1
The large non-urban not so well off mass you speak of has repeatedly shown itself to be extremely gullible when it comes to voting. They often do vote emotionally and fall for populism and/or caste/religious leaders, witness leaders like Lalu, Mamta etc. who have had long tenures in power while providing little to no governance. I dare say a Hindutva message is likely to resonate more than a development message, though Modi has left himself the leeway to choose. The BJPs biggest victories have come on the Hindutva platform.

Fact No. 2
The BJP is the only right wing party in India, and hence ideologically the only party which will reduce red tape and bring in economic prosperity, but despite Vajpayee’s delivering on that front (best exhibit is probably his policy changes on excise and disinvestment) he still lost.

Fact No. 3
It took Modi a full 10 years of governing with an absolute mandate which again he won on the Hindutva platform to deliver the kind of development that could win him an election on the development plank. The benefits of good governance simply take that long to percolate.

Fact No. 4
Hindu aggression and Muslim terrorism go hand in hand. Threat perception on one drives the other and both come from some long-standing unresolved issues, which I do not see how any politician can resolve. Now and then the anger will overflow and overwhelm state machinery. As long as voters themselves do not take a balanced stand it is ridiculous to expect politicians to, who ultimately channel popular sentiment. It is extremely naive to believe that even a truly secular party is going to prevent riots or loss of life. Look up the stats and you will find riots are pretty much regular occurences. Gujarat’s riots is just an issue that the Congress has artificially kept alive with some help from media stooges to undermine Modi.

Conclusion:
So if elections cannot be won on a development platform alone and a majority of Indians are overwhelmingly concerned with religion and caste when voting it stands to logic that you cannot choose a PM based on their stand on development alone.

The choice is simple, would you choose someone who has proven capability as an administrator and governor and will bring in economic prosperity for sure and then rely on the checks and balances of Indian democracy to ensure fair treatment for all communities (accounting for the fact that each community will be unreasonable, witness Sohrabuddin’s encounter being communialized…the man was a gangster and encountered like many others in Mumbai, how does his religion matter?)

Or will you vote for a government that is corrupt, useless and hellbent on ripping off the people and keeping them under control through sops but manages in public perception to not favor any community, while they also fail to stop communal violence?

Frankly, Modi is just a slightly above-average politician. Dismay with Congress’ corruption is an issue, but not a factor for selecting Modi – there are many CMs (such as Manohar Parrikar) who are cleaner than Modi. There are also many better speakers than Modi. There are also CMs who have done more development than Modi.

There are three factors why people are crazy about Modi:

1. Congress has been playing the “secular” game for too long. The caste and religion-based vote bank politics of Congress is shockingly brazen. The PM is on record saying that the minorities have the first right over the resources of the country. The majority community now wants to teach Congress a ‘lesson’ – Modi is the ideal choice. Modi has been hounded by a cartel of Congress-supporting ‘activists’, whom Hindus perceive as covertly branding them as perpetrators of riots and Muslims as innocent victims. For such Hindus, voting Modi to PM post is like slapping Congress and its ‘activists’ on face.

2. Congress is essentially a dynastic party. Nearly all of its leaders (including Rahul Gandhi, Sachin Pilot, Digvijay Singh and Jyotiraditya Scindia) are either from royal families of princely states or from a political dynasty. Most of the remaining are from wealthy families that could afford to arrange Harvard/Oxford education in the 1970s and 1960s. On the other hand, Modi is the son of a chaiwala – if he becomes PM, he will restore the faith that we are still living in a democracy, not a plutocracy.

3. The amount of mud-slinging that Congress did at Modi during Gujarat elections has helped him gain more publicity. They say “Modi is media creation”. I say “Modi is Congress creation” – they criticized him so much, that people started thinking “If evil Congress is criticizing him, he must be good”. According to NHRC 4 fake encounters happened in Gujarat, while overall 440 happened in India (majority in Congress-ruled states). Out of those 4 encounters, at least two were of known gangsters such as Sohrabudding Sheikh. In the Ishrat Jahan case, Ishrat herself might have been innocent, but Pranesh (Javed) had known criminal record including involvement in fake currency (even Ishrat is doubtful – CBI report says that she checked into hotels with Javed under fake names). Nobody came forward to collect the bodies of the other two, indicating that they were not Indians. But the Congress, the activists and the media ignored the other 436 fake encounter cases, while rolling down crocodile tears for Sohrabuddin and Pranesh. The reason for more attention to 2002 Gujarat riots (as opposed to 1969 Gujarat) might be simply that the media is more pervasive now, but many see it as unnecessary victimization of Modi – esp. when 1984 leaders roam free.

The truth is that there are many better PM candidates than Modi, both in and outside of BJP. Unfortunately, they will not get any attention. It’s Congress-vs-Modi now, and people have to choose the lesser evil. Hopefully, AAP will be strong enough by 2020 for Kejriwal to become PM.

“The truth is that there are many better PM candidates than Modi, both in and outside of BJP. Unfortunately, they will not get any attention.

The thing is, none of those other candidates have the kind of national attention that Modi does and therefore may end up repeating 2004 and 2009. For all his flaws he seems to be their best bet now, and at the least, if he is PM he’ll be surrounded by capable people like Jaitley, Shourie, Sushma, Gadkari and maybe even Parrikhar and Chauhan as the NDA cabinet.

“Hopefully, AAP will be strong enough by 2020 for Kejriwal to become PM.”
At this point the AAP is too small to even be called a regional party. Even if they win Delhi, it will take much longer than that for them to grow to a national stature. It took over 50 years for a second national party(BJP) to emerge to rival the Congress.

I may not agree with you on everything but this is one god-damn post:) You broached a real picture on polarisation of politics around Modi. As far as Gujarat is concerned, it’s not that Modi started from scratch and the state was already well-developed!

1. Polarised Opinion:
So you are saying that you dont like Modi or is it that you don’t like the people who support him?
I think that is one major reason why most of the intelligentsia didn’t want to associate with Modi – as they found him crude and his followers even more so.

2. Media Bashing:
Barry Gardiner interview by Nidhi Razdan
Arun Jaitley interview by Karan Thapar
There are quite a few more I can assure you. But tell me, has anyone EVER called Mr Rajiv Gandhi Hitler?
I don’t know how much you actually read, but reading 3 newspaper in a day will give you real perspective and the reason why Indian media houses still profit and run. Media bashing is the least that some could do.

3. Bottom of the Pyramid:
Modi has made the largest difference to farmers in Gujarat. The Narmada canal, GM crops and 24 7 electricity have ensured that agriculture growth in Gujarat has been around 10-15% against the national average of 4-5%. If appealing to the bottom of the pyramid means providing doles based on caste, religion or simply for votes, then I think he probably won’t do it as that is not his core constituency and that is not right either. And this is what makes it even more important for the intelligentsia to realise that here is a guy ready to destroy 10 temples to ensure that the roads to a hospital are built well.

4. The big Muslim question:
Check out that interview on Aajtak – Walk the Talk that Modi gave in 2004/2006. He has stated many times over that he is pained at what happened. Short of saying sorry, he has said it all. He said that where was the media when he wanted to talk about what happened. They did not interview him then. They painted him as a RSS chaddi who wants to kill Muslims.

And frankly as far as Gujarat goes, Hindus and Muslims are living together happily here since the last 10 years now. Just look at UP and you will realise how important Modi is for secularism. The pseudo seculars will loot the country otherwise.

5. The dirty coalition politics:
Agreed. The Indian constitution needs amendments or else one day the whole system will break down. How can you have a PM who is helpless and cannot do what he wants – a PM who is not even an elected representative of the people.

6. The Ugly Tangle of Religion:
Again you are against Modi because you do not like the people who follow him. Thats herd mentality dude. Modi doesn’t give a rat’s ass about the Sri Ram Sene/Bajrang Dal types. Thats how he is different from the Thackeray brothers too. Have you been hearing much from Mr Togadia lately? No? Its because Modi has such people sidelined.

Modi talks the language of development because India is driven only by money my friend and a PM who helps you make more is more important that one who is of your religion, caste or state.

1. Thats is your assumption. I never called them crude. I have already explained why I opine they might be against him. And frankly, if you think that the intelligentsia see Arun Shourie and Arun Jaitley as crude, well, I have nothing to say.

2. Have referred to this too. Why is always there a comparison being made? I did not call Modi a Hitler, and I can’t take responsibility for what the media says about him. But why is Rajiv Gandhi mentioned all the time? What he did was disgusting, but is he a benchmark? What about aspiring to be greater than him?

3. I have already said that I was talking about a scenario outside Gujarat. Please read the point carefully.

4. You are right about the assurance. My point was, people like us who are on social media, and generally considered literate, have figures and statistics to back upon. But does that hold true for the entire nation? For them, it is more rudimentary. All I meant was that saying it wouldn’t hurt much, but there would be a lot to gain.

5. Again, I don’t hate Modi because of his followers. In fact, when the whole Asaram fiasco was on, and BJP ministers were screaming about Asaram’s innocence, Modi instructed all BJP cadre to refrain from making comments till the law took its course. I appreciate that. It requires balls, and well done.

My fear was that it might become difficult when there are more such players involved, who no doubt see Modi as their hero.

About your point about reading enough. I am a Post Graduate in Mass Communication, majoring in Journalism. As a result, I follow at least seven newspapers on a daily basis, excluding two vernacular dailies. Unfortunately, for all the talk on perspective, you still straitjacketed me as a Modi hater.

Couldn’t I be a guy who admires him, and yet has some fears of my own? Is that so difficult to comprehend? Is admiration only single-minded devotion, a refusal to even consider counter-points?

Ok, most of the points you may have raised are pretty valid. But, I think you might have asked the question “why the comparison” a 100 times above. When you go to buy a car (which for the sake of the argument, lets assume is a compulsion), you would always compare a car to the others in the category and then choose your option. Yes this may be a lame analogy, but its true. I am not a big Modi fan, but in the end it boils down to choosing the lesser of the 2 evils (Yes Modi has his own drawbacks, I am no big fan of him .. But I’d love it if you’d brand me a “Conrgess hater”). So there will always be a comparison. If you don’t want to compare, better write a different essay or article titled “My ideal PM Candidate”. So refrain from saying that again, its really irritating.

– An irritated reader
(An equally well read read person having done an MBA from a premiere institute in India)

Buddy, I was just talking about the part where you ask “why compare why compare”, thats the part that got me irritate.Otherwise a well written article.

I don’t mind you voting for the Congress or telling people to do so. But that will again be your opinion after you “compare” the party to its opposition or the “not-so-oragasmic” Modi. Thats is the whole point I wanted to make.

PS – Tendulkar really slows down during his nineties. When in the nineties, I prefer Sehwag 😉

I don’t understand your point about the expression of regret (number 4)..You write the article from your individual pov (i.e, what you expect from him) but then when you are presented facts about the instances where he actually expressed regret, you divert the topic to the point that he didn’t reach out to the masses widely with that regret?! Do you want assurances for yourself or for the entire nation? And secondly, no leader (yes, a person with actual leadership qualities) would answer the same question again and again when asked by people just for their mediahouse’s publicity. It would really look like he is desperately trying to defend himself. And also, when he was elected CM for the 4th time last December, he took the opportunity and expressed regret for what happened and asked for forgiveness if anything unwanted had happened in his regime. Hope you did not forget that.

You speak of the religion tangle and fanboy herds, right? Why Mr. Akbaruddin Owaisi enjoys TREMENDOUS Muslim support even after making UTTERLY INAPPROPRIATE AND COMMUNAL-HATRED-SPREADING comments is beyond my comprehension (You must visit Hyderabad to understand the intensity of their feelings for him).

And since you are so worried about having an ideal person for PM (a spotless moon), why don’t you take some time out and write articles about prospective candidates from all the parties and compare their qualities, achievements, etc (since you claim to be a student of journalism)? There is no ideal person here. If you want to see a better country, you need to have better people running the government. So, yes IT IS A COMPARISON in some aspects.

If you are really a journalism student, I suggest you write articles which reflect upon our youth’s lack of interest in voting which might bring a small change in their attitude. Or write articles which are unbiased (in the sense that they expose every politician that needs to be, not just one person). I am sure that if you dig into just a few Congress leaders like you have done for Mr.Modi, you can write volumes! No offense to you personally.

Chill for a minute. And read my other posts. You’ll get a fair idea if I’m fair or not. I have been kicking the Gandhis’ ass all through. Everybody enjoyed it. But I write something about Modi, and everybody loses their minds?

Also, I wish you stopped spewing criticism and read it in the right spirit. It wasn’t a burning down article. It was me raising doubts. You cannot simply accept that someone might have some doubts over Modi? Read how the article begins. And ends.

Sad that in India, nothing can be subtle. I have to either scream Modi ki Jai. Or Vote for Congress.

Hmm, I guess I am late in replying..something brought me back to this article and your reply to my comment. Okay, perhaps the way I wrote makes it appear like I am spewing criticism, but in my defense, I was really not. Offering sugestions and criticizing are two very different things, my friend. About your Joker reference, I am relatively new to reading blogs and commenting, so you’ll excuse me if I didn’t voice my opinion when you were talking about the Gandhis. 😉 I can accept that someone might have doubts about anybody. It’s just that the purpose of the article seemed unclear to me as I was going through your replies to certain comments. It seems you have classified me as a gross (and blind) supporter who shouts for every silly thing. Just to be clear, I have my own doubts about people too. And I clear them by reading extensively from different sources and perspectives and trying to strike a reasonable balance. So I guess I am familiar with the word subtlety (“write articles about prospective candidates from all the parties”, was what I suggested; I didnt say – “slam Congress!!”). The gist would be this: articles though unbiased, should really focus on optimised solutions (if you are presenting any) or explain the situation in a well-balanced way (in the sense that focus on one person might not really help; a study of relative merits might). I haven’t implied anger or disrespect anywhere in my comment. If it so appears to you, I am sorry. To understand what my intent really was, “Read how my comment begins. AND ENDS!” 🙂

Well, your point about polorized discussions has just been proven. The ones that are pro-Modi – or pro-whatever – are just too focused on idolizing the person. Idols and ‘Gods’ can’t be questioned, criticized or corrected.

I thinks it’s also the TINA (there is no alternative) factor at play. If you are disillusioned with UPA, BJP is the only option left for you(there are no other national parties of any significance).
Apart from NaMO fans, there is perhaps a large number of voters who simply feel that BJP will be lesser of the devils.

I’d say BJP is the lesser evil by a huge margin. Comparing the NDA with the UPA, whether at the Centre or the States, we see more development, less corruption and ironically, less communal tension than under ‘secular’ rule. My vote goes to them not just for Modi but for Arun Jaitely, Arun Shourie, Yashwant Sinha, Shivraj Chauhan, Manoj Parrikhar etc as well. Many of these did good work in the NDA in the past and I hope for them to do the same in the future.

Arun Jaitely: Takes on the UPA for scams, protects N. Srinivasan.
Arun Shourie: You really think he is going to be a part of the Modi clan?
Yashwant Sinha: Opposed Modi, turned around and supported him just to save a seat for himself. Pathetic.
Shivraj Chauhan: Can’t say much for him, but he is not a Modi man, and will be phased out soon.
Manoj Parrikhar: The Supreme Court disallows mining in Goa, and he cries about them stopping illegal mining. Plus, the Russians run his coastline. What kind of CM is he?

Arun Jaitely: He has also recommended sound judicial reforms for securing the independence of the CBI which the UPA ignored.

Arun Shourie: He has gotten close to Modi and the latter promoted his latest book. He is an honest man of impeccable integrity and a great economist. You should read his books.

Yashwant Sinha: Modi needs a Cabinet and he’s already looking around for candidates. Sinha will get his due.

Shivraj Chauhan: Modi is not only looking for ‘Modi men’ to lead the nation. Shivraj was and still is popular in MP and will remain CM unless he chooses a role in the Central government.

Manoj Parrikhar: He gave sound reasons for opposing the mining ban and requesting the courts for dialogue: The ban has crippled the state’s miners and related industries and deprived millions of their livelihood. What kind of CM is he for caring about his citizens, you ask?

And now I have a question for you. Considering every Congress CM(Hooda, Gehlot, Sheila, Chandy etc) and most of the PM’s cabinet(the PM himself, Chidambaram, Khurshid, Vilasrao, Shinde, Beni Prasad, Rasheed Khan, Kamal Nath etc) are accused in various scams, what does the UPA have to offer you. Who do YOU support among this conglomerate of criminals?

I did not say that Congress needs to be voted into power. I probably hate them more than you do. But that also doesn’t mean that one cannot point out things in Modi. It is in no way canvassing one over the other.

But if there are concerns, they need to be expressed. Making someone immune from criticism is a very dangerous thing.

I know. But while pointing out these criticisms we should also note that ultimately the Congress/UPA has a far worse track record in almost everything Modi or the BJP has been accused of, with comparison, or else posts like above, simply listing Modi/BJP’s flaws will just make people erroneously think ‘They are just as bad. I will give UPA licence to loot and neglect our economy and borders for 5 more years!’

I am not a massive fan of Modi and BJP myself. But I would definitely want Modi to win it this time because he’s definitely better than Gandhi family and cronies. I agree with most of the points mentioned above but I partially agree with Gautam Natarajan’s last line in the above comment. People might not give a clean cheat to UPA the license to loot again but they would just not vote at all. If they see more of articles like this one, that will definitely discourage people from voting all together thereby making UPA to come to power again (why ? Because, those urban youth on facebook as mentioned in the article will tend not to vote and the masses will vote for UPA anyhow making it impossible for Modi)

I know so. Speak to any one about UPA’s corruption and sooner or later Yeddyurappa or Bangaru Laxman will be brought up to equate the two. The Aam Aadmi Party’s poll campaign is pretty much built on portraying BJP and Congress as equally bad so they come off looking like a viable alternative.

Completly agree and you have expressed your concerns very well in a matured way allowing a space to debate. Being a staunch modi supporter, I do agree with all the initial 5 points with some level of disagreement about the details, but agree to the basic ideas.

regarding point 6. The Ugly Tangle of Religion. Mr. Modi is in constant fight with VHP and Bajarang Dal, for multiple issues. Be it about the temples Modi ordered to demolish in Gujarath or the lame communal issues raised by VHP. Again I would bring it into your notice that Shri Rama Sene was not a part of Sangh parivar at the time of Mangalore Pub incident and by all the means Sangh parivar has distanced themselves from that attrocious act. Again, Making of crude bombs is different and accusations of planting bombs are different. Recently NIA had issued statements that there is no evidence against one of the so called hindu militant Aseemananda and there by he might not be involved. hence bombing and accusations might have to wait, until the investigation is over. Due to time constraint, I was brief. thanks!

1. After all the harm they’ve done in the last 9 years, and all the systematic corruption that they’ve allowed to seep into the system, from the government to media, NGOs, election commission, vigilance commission, the IAS, investigating agencies like CBI and gradually the judiciary as well, it would be supremely dangerous for the country to let the UPA consolidate its power and hold over democratic institutions for five more years. The longer they rule, the more the country goes from a democracy to a family monarchy from which it would be impossible to expel them.

BJP and regional parties have corruption too? They also abuse governmental power? Sure, but nowhere to the extent of the UPA, which now essentially controls much of the flow of information in the media, the judicial process and so on. And no party in India or abroad can match the record of 100-plus mega-scams the UPA has given us over the last 9 years, nor the net value of these scams which amounts to a whopping Rs 66 lakh crores!

2. Keeping 1. in mind, what are our options?

The Third Front parties are constantly bickering with each other and their leaders are extremely corrupt with huge criminal records, low moral fibre and not much idea of development. You really want to put the nation in charge of hardcore goondas like Mulayam, Mayawati, Laloo, Karunanidhi and Jagan Reddy? Give them power at the Centre and they may very much break the UPA’s corruption record.

The Aam Aadmi Party sounds promising, but at present is tiny and has its hands full just contesting in Delhi, forget about the rest of the country. They aren’t going to rise up to rival the Congress and UPA anytime soon.

Which brings me to Modi and NDA. Their 6-year rule was miles better than the UPA in nearly all fronts, and as the largest opposition they are the safest bet for kicking out the UPA.

I have too have been stressing one point mentioned above to all those who blindly assume Modi as the next PM- We educated people can write a lot on social n/w,discuss over coffee/lunch and blogs why the country needs Modi and not congress, but are these same people having the basic common sense to exercise their votes???? We want the country to change without casting our vote and last time bangalore vote% of abt 45% was the least in whole state… I will never be surprised if Congress(UPA) retains power….